Electric railway



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. M; BENTLEY. ELEGTRIG RAILWAY.

No 444,740. PatentedJah. 1a, 1891. lzyi.

l 4 i E THE NORRIS versus 420., FHOTO L|T| O WASHINGTON, a C4 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E.M.BENTLEY; ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 444,740.-- Patented Jan. 13, 1891.

fwi messes rricnt ATENT EDWARD M. BENTLEY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC RA! LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,740, dated January 13, 1891.

7 Application filed July 10, 1885. Serial No. 171,194. (No model.)

To (til whom it 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. BENTLEY, a citlzen of the United States, and a resident v of Brooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a turntable or transfer-table for an electric railway, and is shown applied to a railway wherein one or both of the main conductors are inclosed in a slotted conduit in a well-known manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the railway-track and turn-table. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a top view of a portion of the turntable with the top removed. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 represent a transfer-table constructed on the principles of my invention.

0 represents the inclosing cylindrical casing, and T represents the turn-table pivoted at t and having its circumference supported on rolling balls \V. The slot of the conduit, in which the conductors are inclosed, is continued across the turn-table G, Fig. 52, representing the side walls of the conduit. Upon the opposite walls are fastened the conductors A A in any well-known manner, and are adapted to be put in connection with an electric locomotive by contact devices extending through the slot in the manner well known. The sections B and B of these conductors upon the turn-table are fixed to the table and are adapted to turn with it, but are electrically insulated from the main part of the cond uctors. A circuit-closer or switch is adapted to be thrown so as to bring these turn-table sections of the conductorinto connection with the main stationaryconductors whenever the table is in a position to receive a locomotive. These circuit-closers are more clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

0 represents two bolts or sliding extensions of the movable sections B B, which slide in grooves in the back of the conductors B B and are adapted to enter sockets 00 upon the ends of the stationaryconductors, and thereby hold the movable sections B B in proper alignment with the stationary conductors A A. These bolts are held normally by the springs S in the position shown in Fig. 3, so

as to close the circuit between the fixed and movable sections of the conductor. \Vhenever it is desired to turn the table, these bolts 0 are thrown back against the pressure of springs S, and the table can then be turned half-way around, when the bolts will come into alignment with the opposite ends of the stationary conductor. These bolts are preferably thrown back by means of the same lever which looks the table in the proper position for the passage of a locomotive onto or off from the table.

In Figs. 2, 3, and 4, D is a short shaft journaled transversely across the conduit and having two arms d extending from it vertically and engaging with projections 19 on the inner ends of bolts 0. \Vhenever this shaft is turned, the projections (Z will force back the bolts 0 against the pressure of springs S. This shaft is connected with locking-lever L, so as to be turned thereby by means illustrated in Fig. i. The lever L is pivoted at m, and its shorter end is connected bya rod Zto a crank-arm 7t on the shaft D. The lever L and the connecting mechanism are placed outside of the side wall G, as is shown in Fig. 2, and its outer end normally rests in socket s, so as to prevent the table from turning. lVhenever the lever is lifted for the purpose of turning the table, the connecting-rod Z is forced downward, and thereby turns the lever D and throws back the bolts 0.

In Fig. 5,1 represents a transfer-table running on rails R R, laid transversely to those of the main rails r 0*.

The sections of the conductor 13 l3 terminate in spring-heads E, which normally rest in contact with the main conductors A and A, so as to be in electrical connection therewith. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 5, where the table is shown in a position to receive a locomotive from the lower railway O. lVhen the locomotive has been run onto the table, the table will be moved along the rails R R until the conductors B B come into alignment with the main conductors AA of railway 0, when the electrical connection will be completed and the motor can proceed by its own power onto the road 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, in an electric-railway turn-table, of inclosing box therefor, :1. diametrically slotteditable, a transverse connection holding the two halves of the table, and an electrical insulated conductor beneath the table and above the said transverse connection substantially in line with a corresponding conductor in the main conduit.

2. The combination, in an electric railway having a slotted conduit and a conductor therein, of a transfer or turn table having also a conduit and conductor in line with theconduit and conductor of the main line, a track and rollers for said table below the level-of said conduit, and an electrical connection between the conductor of the turn-table and the main conductor.

3. The combination of two sections of clectrio railway, each provided with a slotted conduit and a conductor therein on a common level, an intermediate transfer or turn table having a section of the conductor in line with the conductors of the sections, and a track for said table permitting movement at an angle to said sections.

4. The combination of two sections of electric railway, each provided with a slotted conduit, a conductor on a common level, a transfer or turn table and a section of conductor therein at the same level, and a track for said table below the level of said conduit, permitting movement of the table at anangle with the said sections.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of June, 1885.

EDWARD M. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

ALBERT E. LYNCH, GHAs. H. DORER. 

